Jaina Concept of Omniscience

Author(s): Ramjee Singh
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 51

THE BELIEVERS IN OMNISCIENCE
of all sects. The Stotras are devotional prayers addressed to the different deities. There are some independent Stotra works38 but most of them39 form parts of some bigger works like the Purānas, the Mahābhārata, etc. In these works, the divine attri 6 utes of omnipotence, omniscience etc, are attributed to each individual deity.
(C) The Approach of Self-Knowledge (Atmajñatā)
For the Upanişads the real is the Atman or Brahman, the two words were being used very often synonymously. It follows therefore that “By knowing the Atmail, one knows everything ”40 or “ Ātman being known everything is known.”41 Similarly, when Saunaka asks Angiras “By knowing what one knows everything", the reply is given “Brahman”.49 In short, the Upanişadic thinkers want to bring home the truth that one who knows the cosmic spirit, either as Brahman or Ātman, knows everything. Thus, omniscience means knowledge of the Self (Atmajñatā) or knowledge of Brahman (Brahmanjñatā).
The tetm 'Sarvajñatā' does not oscur even once in any of the Vedas, however it occurs at least thirtyone times in the whole of 120 Upanisads; but whereas in the principal Upanişads, the term Sarvajñarā denotes the knowledge of the Self, in the minor ones, we fiad references to the omniscience of God and other deities. The Vedic conception of physical
38 Svayambhi Stotra of Samantabrica, ed., Jugal Kishore Mukhtār
(Sahāranapur, Vir Sevā Mandir, 1951); Putra Kesari Stotra of Vidyananda, ed. Lälā Rāma (Calcutta, Bhartiya Jaina Siddhānta Prakāśini Samsthā, N.D.); etc.
Siva Sahasranını etc. in various works Radha Sahasranāma, etc. 40 Chăndoz ya Upanişad, VI.2.1; I$2.6.7; Brhal. III.7.1.; IV.5.6; Prašna,
IV.10.11; Ka tha II.3; II.2.15; Sandilya II. 3; Tripadvib'rūti Mahānāra
yana Ch. VIII. p. 382; Ganesa Ch. IV, p. 637, Ch. VI. p. 640. 41 Brhad. IV. 5,6. 42 Mund, 1.1.3; 1.1.6.